Oct 25 2009
SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE THESE DRIVING CHALLENGES IN TRUCKING
October 24 2009. What a change from last night! Sometimes you have these days/nights of skill testing if you drive a semi. I did not have a leisurely drive to Fort Smith as I normally do. No relaxing and just enjoy the drive and drink your coffee. This was not meant to be. I had to WORK to stay safe and keep others safe too.Bumper to bumper traffic in town and for the next hour while driving to my destination. Traffic racing to get around you before the right lane ends due to merging. Naturally these vehicles are ¼ mile behind you as you look in your mirrors to keep an eye on them. You have to. I am just a couple blocks from that lane that ends and there is no way they can get there before me, but they try. Here they come only to find out they have to slam on their brakes and get in the line BEHIND me and they should have just stayed put instead of trying to get ahead of a big truck. I dealt with “LETS NOT LET THE SEMI PASS, CHANGE LANES AND LETS CUT THEM OFF” game. Many who passed me, SWERVED in front of me so close that I had to hit my brakes to avoid hitting them, or try to not hit them. And some also slowed down once they got in front of me. Guess you just have to be in front of the big truck and then slow me down so I can’t maintain my speed.
Lead vehicle on the ramp saw me coming and even tho I was ahead of him and I knew I would be at the end of the ramp entrance to the interstate before him, he sped up to beat me to that point. He found out it was not going to work in this bumper to bumper traffic. But there was enough room for him to have merged BEHIND me as normal instead of this mentality of getting ahead of me. So, I reach the point of the merging as planned, ahead of the lead vehicle. I can see him in my mirrors and brace myself for an accident. This vehicle is determined to still get on the interstate ahead of me! Trailer is now at the merged point and I am ahead of that point in the tractor. I am waiting for this car to go under the trailer. I’m trying to see forward, to my left and of course watching the right side thru the mirrors. In these few seconds I am wondering if I will roll the semi and if that happens, the vehicles on my left are in for a huge surprise. Or will I drag these vehicle and rip it to pieces and have a death to deal with??? At the last possible second, vehicle slows down and moves AWAY from me, I think almost coming to a complete stop. So many drivers think they have the right of way when on the ramp. Wrong! You are the one to merge safely with the traffic and maybe stop if needed. Naturally I am thankful that nothing happened.
Nerves shot by the time I reached my destination. After I dropped the trailer and got the empty one, I finally got to have some of my coffee from my thermos. I took a few moments to relax before facing this traffic for the rest of the night. So thankful to make it home with no mishaps..
But today is a leisurely day of driving. So relaxing and I can enjoy the fall colors. My first stop will be for breakfast and my first cup of coffee. I can hardly wait to savory the first bite of my sausage egg mcmuffin! I love those things. I walk in and tell the counter person “I’ll have the Sausage Egg McMuffin and coffee to go please.” I’m asked if this is to go or to eat in. Did you not here me??? Did I mess up your speech by saying it first??? I again say, “This is to go.” My order is handed to me and I rush out to the truck to get back on the interstate before I bit into my Sausage Egg McMuffin. Couldn’t wait, I get the first bite on the ramp. THIS IS NOT A SAUSAGE EGG MCMUFFIN!!!! IT IS AN EGG MCMUFFIN!!!! I knew I should have checked the order before leaving. I’m not happy. I frantically look for my ticket and sure enough it does say SAUSAGE EGG MCMUFFIN. I finish eating but it just was not what I wanted. Next is the coffee that lasts me to my destination.
It is a beautiful fall day with the sun rising many times as I go thru all the hills. When I go thru the valley’s and near the rivers, you can see the steam/fog rising and it blankets everything. Patches of it, close to the ground and the sun is shining above it. You can see this for miles and it also looks like smoke from a distance. All the fall colors blend in perfect harmony. It is an awesome sight to see. Breathtaking.
When I arrive at the receiver, my country station and a rock station are coming in on the same frequency and it does not make good listening. Have not had this happen before. This lasts as long as it takes me to check in with the guard, park loaded trailer and get my empty and leave and get back on the interstate.
The drive back was even prettier now with more sunlight. I get to enjoy this view for one more trip. I finished my assignment early in the afternoon. Time to go home and enjoy this beautiful day.
I’ve had that ordering problem too. It’s like they don’t wait to listen. They don’t pay attention to what they’re picking up. Of course, it always happens when you’re in a hurry and don’t check the order.
It will make your next sausage McMuffin taste even better. Good that a nice day followed a rotten one.
We have the same problems when we’re towing our 23 ft travel trailer. It’s usually when we’re on the highway and someone is coming up the on ramp. They don’t look. It takes a while to go by them and all the time they’re off in LA LA land somewhere.
When I’m not the one driving, I watch until I see them recognize that they can’t merge just yet - then I tell my husband so he knows they’re aware of us. No one has hit us yet, but you do know we can’t just dodge. Our pickup and trailer combination don’t dodge. Period.
Good luck and many happy days on the road.
Marilynne